Vacuum apparatus.



P. H. THOMAS.

VACUUM APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1905.

981,498, Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

U INVENTOH an. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY H. THOMAS, OF MONTCLAIR,*NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO COOPER HEWITTELECTRIG COMPANY, OF NEW YORK; N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' VACUUM PPARATUS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Original application filed January 23, 1904, Seria1 No. 190,285. Dividedand this application filed June 16,

' 1905. Serial No. 265,503.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, PERCY H. Ti-romxs, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Monte-lair, county ofEssex, State of New Jersey, have'invented certainnew and use-.

ful Improvements in'Vacuum Apparatus, of

which the following is a Specification.

When it is desired to remove injurious gasesfrom a containing vessel orchamber,

at is sometimes desirable to assist the opera tion by creating avaporinside the chamber and causing the expulsion or removal of the saidvapor either whollyby the same means as those employed for creating itor partially by the use of supplemental means such as a mechanical pumpwhich would not in itself provide suflicient means for accomplishing theremoval. .Such a vapor may be. exemplified by mercury vapor and thevapor.

may be produced by heating mercury inslde the chamber and expelling thegases either entirely by the influence of the heat, or with "the aid ofa mechanical pump. This process has been found useful in connection withthe pumping of mercury vapor apparatus wherein the mercury may serve thepurpose of forming an electrode or more than one electrode inside thecontainer after the chamber has been sealed off and the apparatus, isready for use. It should be understood that the sealing OK, in allcases, takes place while the operation of expelling or withdrawing thevapors is in progress. 1

The present invention is designed to utilize, to some extent, the samegeneral principles as those above set forth, but it is more particularlyapplicable to apparatus in which the material used for creating thevaporis not essential to the operation of the completed apparatus. Forconvenience, I shall show mercury as the source of'vapor, and a jet,flame or torch as a source of heat for generating vapor from themercury.

Instead, however, of placing the mercury in the Vessel which is to beexhausted of air and other gases, I locate the mercury in a separatereceptacle below the chamber and connect this receptacle to the chamberby a neck which can readily be sealed off when the' operation iscomplete. During the process of removing injurious gases from the chamher, the chamber itself and the receptacle containing mercury will bothbe subjected to heat, thereby causing the passage of a portion of themercury vapor generated to pass through the chamber and out at asuitable exit tube. With the said exit tube may or may not be connecteda mechanical pump for assisting in the withdrawal of the vapors andgases. When the operation has been continued long enough so that theproducts issuing through the exit tube are substantially pure mercuryvapor, the said "exit tube is sealed ofl", heat is withdrawn from themercury containing receptacle, the latter is subjected to the influenceof special cooling means, thereby promoting the condensation of themercury and its return to the receptacle, after which the neckconnectin" the receptacle to the chamber is sealed .0 and the operationis complete.

When this process [is carried out in the manner described, it is foundthat a very high degree of vacuum is produced in the chamber, suchproduction being assisted by the means which are provided for condensingthe mercury through a cooling process. The invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing which is an elevation of an apparatus adaptedto secure the carrying out of my invention.

In the drawing, 1 is the chamber to be exhausted, 2 is the exit pipetherefrom, and 3is the receptacle for containing mercury. Around thechamber 1 I may arrange a heat retaining shield, 4, adapted to receivejets, 5, 5, which may be ignited for producing heat. I may also surroundthe receptacle 3 with a heat retaining shield, 6, and may place in thebottom thereof one or more jets, 7, 7, for heating the mercuryreceptacle 3 and the mercury contained therein. The receptacle 3 isjoined to the chamber 1 by means of a neck, 8. The exit tube 2 may haveconnected to its remote end a mechanical pump, as shown at 9, and ingeneralI prefer this arrangement, although the pump may be dispensedwith if preferred.

To operate the apparatus, the 5, 5 and 7, 7 may be ignited and the pump9 set in action. Through the operation of the jets 7, 7 mercury vapor isformed and this passes into the chamber 1 where it is still furtherheated by means of the jets 5-, 5. This causes a tendency for the vaporto pass out through the exit tube 2 and in some instances no othersource of power for withdrawing the vapor is required. Should the pump 9be used it will assist the withdra wal of the vabe sealed off -moved, orthe flames put out.

pors. The gases originally contained in-the chamber 1 will naturallydifl'use themselves in the vapor of mercury created by the process abovedescribed, and as the said yapor passes out from, the chamber, the ollimaL gases will be carried along with it an the process may be continueduntil practicall nothing but pure 'vapor passes out throng 1 the exittube. At this time the tube 2 should and the jets 7, 7 should be re- Thejets 5, 5, however, will remain in operation. The part 6 which has been,up to this point, used as a heat retaining chamber may now be. filledwith a cooling liquid, such as water, which may be caused to passcontinuously through the-part mentioned, thereby causing a rapid coolingof the receptacle 3. Owing to the comparatively low temperature of thisreceptacle, the mercury vapor in the chamber '1 will be condensed andfall by gravity into the receptacle. Accordingly, an- .excellent vacuumwill be produced in the chamber 1 and whenthe operation has beencontinued long enough, the neck 8 may be sealed off le'avin the chamberas a distinct structure provide with ahi l1 vacuum. The cooling fluidmay be poure into thepart 6 from any suitable source and may pass outthrough a cook, 10., as shown near the bottom of the figure.

Under some circumstances it will be found convenient instead ofretaining the source of heat 5 during the operation of condensation orremoval of the vapor, to allow the chamber 1 to cool, thus condensingthe vapor if only means be provided for removing the condensed vapor inthe chamber 1 before sealing ofl' the neck 8. It is convenient tolocatethe receptacle 3 below the chamber 1; It is, however, quitepossible to locate said receptacle at any convenient point, thecoolingof the said recep tacle as described being adequate to withdrawthe vapors from the chamber 1 by condensingthem in the receptacle.

In another application filed January 23rd, 1904, Serial Number 190,285,Patent Number 845,670, Feb. 26, 1907 of which this application is adivision, claims are made upon the method described herein.

In applicants companion cases Serial Number 190,283, filed January 23rd,1904 and Serial Number 190,284, filed January 23rd, 1904 as well as inapplicants Patents No. 845,670 issued February 26th, 1907 and No.806,853 issued December 12th, 1905 claims are made on subjectmatterrelated to that claimed herein.

I claim as my invention 1. In a vapor apparatus, a chamber, a receptaclecontaining a volatilizable fluid, said rece tacle being connected to thesaid chamber y suitable inlet, an outlet leading from the said chamber,means for vaporizing a ceptacle containing 7 a volatilizable ortion ofsaid volatilizable fluid, and means tor causing generated vapors to passthrough the said chamber and "through said outlet at' a rate sufficientto produce a motion outward.

of the injurious gases, together with means whereby the outlet maybesealed oil before the cessation of said outward motion of de le teriousgases. p j v 2. In a vapor apparatus,a chamber, a receptacle containinga volatilizable fluid, said receptacle being connected to the saidchamber by suitableinlet, an outletleading from thesaid chamber, meansfor vaporizing a portion of said volatilizable fluid, and means forcausing generatedvapors to pass through the said chamber and throughsaid. outlet at a rate suflicient to produce a motion outward of theinjurious gases, whereby the outlet may the cessation of said outwardmotion of deleterious gases, and means whereby said recep-- tacle may besealed ofi from said chamber.

3. In a Vapor apparatus, a chamber, a refluid, said receptacle beingconnected to the said chamber by suitable inlet, an outlet leading fromthe said chamber, means for vaporizing a ortion of said volatilizablefluid, and means or causing generated vapors to pass through the saidchamber and through said outlet at a rate suflicient to produce a motionoutward of the injurious gases, together with means whereby the outletmay be sealed oif before'the cessation of said outward motion ofdeleterious gases and means for removing the vaporized fluid from thesaid chamber after the sealing off of said outlet.

4. In a vacuum apparatus, a chamber, a receptacle containing avolatilizablefluid located below the chamber and connected thereto by asuitable inlet tube, an outlet tube for the chamber, means for'applyingheat to both the receptacle andithe chamber, means for causing thevapors generated in the receptacle to pass into and out of the chamber,together with means whereby said receptacle may be sealed ofi from saidchamber.

receptacle containing a volatilizable fluid, located below the chamberand connected thereto by a suitable inlet tube, an outlet tube for thechamber, means for heatingboth I together with means be sealed ofibefore 5. In a .vacuum apparatus, a chamber, a I

located below the chamber and connected thereto by a suitable inlettube, an outlet tube for the chamber, means for applying heat to boththe receptacle and the chamber, means for causing the vapors generatedin the receptacle to pass into and out of the chamber, such meansconsisting in part of the sources of heat applied to the receptacle andin part of a mechanical suction pump applied to the outlet tube from thechamber together with means whereby said outlet may be sealed 01f duringthe operation of the said source of heat and of said suction pump. I

7. Inxa vacuum apparatus, a chamber, a

receptacle containing a volatilizable fluid located belout the chamberand connected thereto by a suitable inlet tube, an outlet tube for thechamber, means for applying heat to both the receptacle and the chamber,means for causing the vapors generated in the receptacle to pass intoand out of the chamber, means whereby the outlet tube from the chambermaybe sealed off during the passage of said generated vapors through thechamber, and means whereby the said receptacle may be cooled .to cause acondensation of the vapors created in the chamber uponthe removal of thesource of heat.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York,this 14th dayof-June, A. D. 1905. V

PERCY H. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CAPEL, GEORGE H. STOOKBRIDGE.

